Plant Profile: Magic Magnolias
Magnolias are wonderful small trees or shrubs, which despite their southern connections, can work as spring-flowering plants for gardens in USDA Zone 4 — about the southern half of Minnesota, as well as areas along Lake Superior. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum has a fine collection of magnolias and they are blooming right now.
Magnolias for the north include hybrids of Magnolia stellata and Magnolia kobus as well as the native cucumber tree (Magnolia acuminata). Most cultivars are small trees or shrubs, ranging from 10 to 25 feet tall with a vase-shaped form. The cucumber tree, however, grows up to 80 feet tall, and is grown primarily for its qualities as a sturdy landscape tree. (More varieties of hardy magnolias are being developed, too. Northern Gardener covered the work of Green Bay-based breeder Dennis Ledvina in our March/April 2013 issue.)
Magnolias bloom in early spring, generally from late April through mid May in the Twin Cities. The flowers appear before the leaves on the plant, and the plant can be covered with blooms in shade of cream, pink or yellow. Magnolias are natives of forest clearings, so they can handle light or dappled shade but they bloom best in full sun. They need moisture (but not too much) and prefer a slightly acidic soil. Many people plant their magnolias near the house to protect them from the wind. Avoid the south side, however, as you do not want the plant to come into bloom too early. The magnolia root system is fibrous and shallow, so dig a wide hole when planting magnolias and spread them out. A yearly application of a balanced fertilizer or mulching with compost will help feed the plant. Magnolias look stunning surrounded by early spring bulbs, such as squill, and they do well with a shallow-rooted groundcover for a neighbor.
Here are some of the best varieties for Minnesota:
‘Royal Star’ Bright white blooms, fragrant, this plant grows only 15 feet tall at the most and blooms early in the season.
‘Ann’ For a cloud of pretty pink blooms, plant ‘Ann’. This one will grow to 30 feet tall. It can be prone to scale and other pests or diseases.
‘Jane’ With pinkish purple blooms, this later blooming variety should not be planted too close to the house.
‘Leonard Messel’ With narrow star-shaped petals that are white on one side and pink on the other, ‘Leonard Messel’ is a popular magnolia in Minnesota. Some sources rate it as zone 5, so choose a protected location.
‘Merrill’ Another magnolia with cream-colored blooms, ‘Merrill’ is known for its hardiness. A good choice for Minnesota.
Do you have magnolias in your yard?
I am desperately looking for a nursery that sells magnolias that grow in zone 4. Please advise if you have a contact that would carry them.
Where do you live? In the Twin Cities, Bachman’s sells them, and I think many of the nicer independent garden centers. Outside of the Twin Cities, there are several regional garden centers that carry them.
Thinking of getting a a hardy Magnolia ,living around Houston Texas area. Would be planted in front yard in a 25ft open space.have other planters and flower bed . Article says they grow up to 35 ft .Will it work.( Not knowing the rest of the plants I have) or be to much .house faces south west . Area will be is sun.
There are so many different magnolias you could grow in Houston compared to what we can grow in Minnesota. I would check with a local nursery to discover the best options.
Try Cross nursery in Lakeville. They are wholesale but do sell retail too.
There is a nursery in sioux falls that sells them I think
My magnolia (Magnolia Star) is thriving. I am in zone 4, I purchased mine from fastgrowingtrees.com
Also, Sargent’s in Rochester, their bigger location, has a beautiful selection.
I live near the Mn/WI border and in my experience if you keep your eyes open you may find someone local who’s a reputable grower as well who sells consistently year after year…. Keep your eyes open for those little signs that say “plant sale” as your passing through those little towns on the way up north to the cabin or what not, cuz 9 times outta 10 those people tend to have what your looking for and more for far cheaper even! Every year! Good Luck!
That is so true! We love all our local growers.
I live in a suburb of St. Paul, MN. The Magnolia I planted last year budded this spring then nothing. No flowers. No leaves. Nothing. What happened?
We planted a magnolia tree/bush this spring, either a Royal Star or Merrill. Seems to be thriving.
It is covered with pinkish large buds as of Nov-Dec. Should we do anything to protect the tree/bush? Does it need to be wrapped in burlap?
Hello! Are there yellow magnolias that can grow in Minnesota? Thanks!
There is a magnolia called ‘Elizabeth’ that has a creamy yellow flower. I’m not sure how available it is, but some nurseries list it on their websites.
I have a butterfly magnolia which produces yellow blooms. I purchased it at Bachmans about five years ago.
Can a zone 5 saucer magnolia tree survive MN zone 4 weather? I really want one.
It might, if you placed it in a slightly warmer microclimate.
We have had a Merrill Magnolia (I think) for about 11 years and this summer it is
emitting a sticky liquid all over some of it’s leaves and all the plants around it.
It also has white spots all over the branches. Any ideas what this is and what to do
about it????
I live in Minnesota, so it is definately a hardy variety.
I’ve had a Merrill Magnolia for 15 yrs. & I’ve never had that happen. You are positive the sticky yellow residue isn’t coming from a maple or other tree from above? Has it ever produced orange berries? Mine did last year & the birds or other critters made quite the mess going after the berries as they ripened.
Could this be scale? I don’t have a magnolia tree but I’ve been doing some research as I’d love to have one.
Definitely scale.
I have many 6″ merrill magnolia trees in pots that I grew from seed. I would like to plant a few in the ground just to see how they do over winter. Should i cover the trees with a pail, pot or just cage? I’m concerned with snow drifts.
I live in Minnetonka and my magnolia needs some pruning at the bottom as the branches hang too close to the ground and I want to have a clearing around the base. When is the best time to prune magnolias in Minnesota?
The best time to prune magnolias is after they flower in spring. At that point, you can shape the plant and still give it plenty of time to recover and set buds for next spring. Thanks for commenting!
I prune mine any time, especially in summer. You also have to prune the suckers out on the bottom branches. If you don’t, all the trees strength will go into the suckers. Suckers are the shoots that grow straight up from the bottom branches. If you don’t also the good branches will die off.
My magnolia is about 35 ft high and 20 ft wide. I never have watered it. I didn’t know you had to.
Is there a zone 4 variety of magnolia that gets the classic large glossy two toned leaves like a southern magnolia? All of the magnolia trees that I’m finding for Minnesota seem to be bold flowers and minimal foliage, but I would love to have a southern style magnolia tree full of the classic magnolia leaves to use in holiday decorations. Do those exist up here?
Unfortunately, the big foliage is only on the southern magnolia. Here’s a good explanation of the different types of magnolias and where they grow. https://www.magnoliasociety.org/MagnoliaResources
Are there magnolias for zone 3a?
Even the hardiest magnolias are rated for USDA Zone 4. So you would need a microclimate or very protected site in zone 3 to grow magnolias.
Hello,
We recently planted what we believed was a Royal Star Magnolia but know seeing the shrub and producing cucumber like blossoms we are guessing this is NOT a Royal Star Magnolia.
Is our assumption accurate?
Thanks
JW
You mentioned not planting the Jane magnolia too close to the house. Is there anything about that particular variety that makes that location less ideal?
Jane magnolias get fairly wide — like up to 12 feet. Too close to the house and you might risk branches rubbing against the house. Always check the mature width and height before choosing a foundation plant. Thanks for commenting.
I have an Ann magnolia that had a well established root system and stood about 5’ tall but it was uprooted and moved by a plumbing contractor because I needed underground plumbing/pipe repaired during a hot spell in July. When they dug it up 1/2 of the roots were not moved with the bush. I replanted it but all the leaves turned brown. Is it possible that it died. Should I rub the dead leaves off and just continue to water it hoping some life may appear. It’s now late July in MN. I hope you can give me some insight.
I planted a magnolia tree early this summer. It seems to be doing well. But it has been sprouting buts like crazy. It is now almost September and one is just getting ready to open. Should I just let all these buds continue to develop or should I pinch them off so it is more winter ready? Am in Twin Cities are of Minnesota. Thanks.
The buds you see forming are next year’s blooms, so I would not remove them. Occasionally, a spring blooming shrub will put out one or two blooms in fall. (I’ve had it happen with PJM rhododendrons.) Don’t worry about it. Here’s a bit more info on magnolias from the U of M Morris research center.
I live close to zone 3, (50 miles south from Duluth Mn.) but considered to be in zone 4 , what’s the best way to protect our Royal star for the winter..? Wrap in burlap, obviously but what about ground cover,…..kinds and depth,and……voles
September 5, 2020
Our Magnolia tree has leaves that are curling up and some leaves have black areas. What should be done?
Our magnolia is growing beautifully large and need to trim its lower branches. Can I trim now before it’s leaves drop?
If it’s just a branch or two, I think you’d be OK to do it now. If it’s significant pruning, the usual recommendation is to wait until spring.
I planted a Royal Star Magnolia early summer last year. I see the buds, but have not seen any blooms yet. All the other Royal Stars in my neighborhood are blooming, is my Magnolia dead?
If it has buds, it’s probably not dead. Here’s a good article on why a magnolia might put out buds but no blooms. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/magnolia/magnolia-blooms-not-opening.htm Hope this helps!
Can I plant a magnolia in the fall?
Please don’t plant squill! It’s an invasive nightmare. There are plenty of native spring ephemerals that will serve an aesthetic and ecological function. Prairie Moon is a good resource.
Great tip – thanks, Steve.
I am relandscaping in front of my house this spring and want to relocate my mature Royal star magnolia. When and how can I transplant it?
Hi, Sue. You’ll want to transplant the tree when it’s dormant. Then:
– Water the soil the day before transplanting to soften the ground and reduce stress on the roots.
– To protect the branches, loosely tie up the lower branches to keep them out of the way while digging.
– Protect the root ball – try to wrap it in burlap to prevent soil loss and root damage.
– When replanting, remove the burlap and place in the new hole, which should be the same depth as the root ball and 50 to 100 percent wider. Compact the soil around the root ball to eliminate air pockets and support the tree.
– Water the tree thoroughly – make sure the roots get at least an inch of water every week.
– Sprinkle starter fertilizer around the base of the tree, then lightly rake it into the soil
Hops this helps. Good luck with the move!
I planted a Merrill Magnolia 5+ years ago. This year is the first year it has bloomed!! ONE bloom and I’m excited. It had blooms when we bought it. We are using Jobe fertilizer spikes yearly. Any suggestions to get more blooms next year?
What are your thoughts on a Alexandeina Japanese magnolia Just 15 min to the west of Minneapolis…. can’t resist those big pink blooms!